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The DA parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip and other colleagues visited the Northern Cape (Kimberley and surrounding areas) to determine what the main issues and challenges are in determining the matric pass rate in the province.

This particular visit related to the state of the education in the province in general and the drastic decline of 11% in the 2009 matric pass rate and formed part of his , ‘parliament for the people campaign.'

The delegation was comprised of the following DA public representatives: Athol Trollip MP (Parliamentary Leader), Dr Junita Kloppers-Lourens (DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education); Willem Faber NCOP (The select committee on education in the NCOP); Dr Allan Grootboom MPL (DA provincial spokesperson on education) and Andrew Louw MP (DA Provincial Leader in the Northern Cape). This delegation is obviously focused on education and education outcomes in the Northern Cape and the planned outreach and oversight visit was specifically focused on gaining first-hand information regarding the challenges faced by various schools and also to determine what remedial steps can be considered to turn the alarming failure trend around.

The various members of the DA support staff at Parliamentary and Provincial level made the necessary arrangements to visit three schools from entirely different communities. These arrangements were made at least one week in advance.

The first two schools visited were most accommodating and frank regarding the existing challenges and shared their own ideas about how these can be addressed. This kind of cooperation not only bodes well for solution-orientated intervention, but also assists legislators to make informed decisions regarding the promulgation of future legislation.

The outcomes of such visits in this initiative (DA Parliament for the People) are reported fully on our website. However the outcomes of this particular visit have been negatively affected by the refusal of one school to entertain our visit despite the necessary arrangements being made.

It became apparent that the headmaster of Emmang Mmogo SSS in Galeshewe was having second thoughts[or had come under political pressure ] about our meeting when he said that he required permission from the Education department in particular the head of department, Mr Joemat.

This matter was brought to the attention of the delegation and Mr Grootboom (DA provincial education spokesperson) was asked to visit the headmaster, Mr Brooker on Sunday afternoon to explain the reason for the visit to his school.

Despite all this, when the delegation arrived, the gates of the school were chained and padlocked as well as guarded by a security officer. Upon announcing our arrival and scheduled appointment the officer went and called the headmaster. Mr Brooker arrived accompanied by a Mr Mophareng (department of Education circuit manager) and it became abundantly clear that Mr Mophareng had assumed control of the situation. He simply refused the delegation access to the school.

The actions and attitudes of these two departmental employees left the delegation under no illusion that they were defensive and were obviously covering up the school's unacceptable matric results (38% matric pass rate). What is more is that there is no good reason to prevent public representatives, tasked with dealing directly with educational issues, access to public schools. In fact some individuals who are not public representatives or indeed directly involved in education such as Mr Julius Malema are never prohibited from visiting schools even when his visits are disruptive. This delegations visit was not disruptive as it focused solely on visiting the Principal and the leadership of the school governing body where possible. Visits to classrooms, libraries and laboratories were only conducted at break or interval time.

Considering our government's public commitment to making education the "number one priority" in South Africa, the performance of this school and the attitude of the management is an indictment on the Northern Cape education department that is already or should be embarrassed about its dismal performance in the 2009 matriculation exams.

Not only have these individuals embarrassed the National and Provincial Governments as well as the relevant departments of education, they have also let the learners of Emmang Mmogo and the entire parent body down.

This matter will not be left unattended and will be vigorously pursued (through Athol Trollip's progamme of "Parliament for the People"). The shadow Cabinet Minister, Dr Junita-Kloppers-Lourens will request that the Portfolio Committee facilitates a formal parliamentary visit to the school and the select committee member of the NCOP, Mr Willem Faber will ask parliamentary questions in the National Council of Provinces regarding this incident and the past and present performance of the said school.

The DA and parents of schoolgoing children in South Africa will no longer allow underperformance of schools and mismanagement thereof to be swept under the proverbial carpet.

The headmaster of Emmang Mmogo, Mr Brooker and his Circuit Manager Mr Mophareng have now piqued our curiosity and could have saved themselves much trouble and embarrassment if they had respected the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshego's correspondence to all MP's regarding visitations to Public schools (a copy is available upon request).

[Also available is a Pro forma example of the kind of questions the delegation put to consenting principals. These questions are clearly no "state secret"]